Chapter 101
As she leaves the medical center, Hanna decides to go for a short walk. A few minutes in the fresh air would be good. Seeing Anton in such a state was horrible. As they drove away from Sadeln, she was half expecting him to faint right there in the car.
He is in good hands now, but she needs a little break before returning to the police station. She needs to be on the top of her game for the interview with Pontus, not feeling shaken as she does now.
She heads north along Kurortsv?gen, then walks quickly toward the Tott Hotel, drawing the cold air deep into her lungs.
The snow squeaks beneath her boots. In the distance she can see the Tott lift up at the top.
It has shut down for the day; it is after three o’clock, and the sun will be going down in half an hour.
At this time of day there are no T-bar lifts or skiers on the piste; the slopes are deserted.
Hanna has to admit that this case is having a profound effect on her.
There is something particularly disturbing about young people being mixed up in serious crime, and she finds it difficult to maintain her distance as she should.
Only a few days ago they were a group of friends traveling to the mountains for a week of skiing and partying.
Now their lives will never be the same again.
Pontus could be facing many years in jail, Olivia has lost her best friend, and she and Emil almost died in a fire.
How can life change so fast?
Hanna buries her chin in her scarf and tries to calm the anxiety fizzing through her body.
At the moment the indications are that Pontus is guilty, but they can’t rule out the possibility that others might be involved.
The information Olivia passed on is still in the back of her mind; William and Amir must be questioned as a matter of urgency.
She has almost reached the hotel, and realizes it is time to go back. Daniel is waiting for her.
The working day is far from over.
Maybe she should call Lydia? Ask her sister if she knows anything about the cameras that are presumably linked to the house alarm at Nedre Svedjev?gen 7.
Lydia should still be at work. Hanna takes out her phone and makes the call. Lydia answers right away, and Hanna quickly explains the situation. She is keen to avoid unnecessary small talk.
“Yes, our cameras are positioned to film all the different access points to the house,” Lydia confirms.
“Do they run all the time?”
“No, I think they’re motion sensor, but you can choose for yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our cameras start filming only if something or someone moves within their range, but there are different kinds that run nonstop.”
That was exactly what Hanna had hoped to hear.
“Do you have any idea whether the footage is stored for a specific period?”
“I’ve never thought about it,” Lydia replies. “You need to contact the security company—they might store the footage in the cloud, or on their server.”
Hanna is grateful for any information she can get.
“Thanks, I’ll call them right away.”
“Which company is it?”
Hanna tries to picture the white panel in her mind’s eye.
“Nordic Security, I think.”
“That’s the company we use. They’re very professional, and they cover the whole country. I’m sure they’ll be able to tell you what you need to know.”
Hanna is about to thank her sister for her help and end the call, when Lydia jumps in with a completely different question.
“So why didn’t you call me back yesterday?” There is no mistaking the reproachful note in her voice. “I’m dying of curiosity here, with all those online articles . . .” The pause is brief but meaningful. “What’s going on with you and Henry Sylvester?”
Not Lydia too.
Hanna loves her big sister, but the last thing she has time for right now is a discussion about her tangled love life. The investigation has to take precedence.
“Another time,” she says.
“Mom is absolutely thrilled,” Lydia continues. “She called me yesterday, couldn’t stop talking about your new boyfriend. You do realize she’s already started planning your wedding? How do you feel about that?”
“Lydia, please!”
“Okay, okay.” Now she sounds offended. “I thought we could talk to each other about this kind of thing.”
Hanna really doesn’t want to upset her sister. Lydia has stepped up for her many times over the years. But she doesn’t have time for this at the moment.
“It’s . . . complicated. I’ll call you later and tell you more. I need to speak to the security company before they close for the day.”
“Promise you’ll call me back?”
“I promise. Scout’s honor.”
They end the call, and Hanna wishes she could split herself in two—one person to take care of her private life, and one to focus on the job.
Time to hurry back to the station and get to grips with Pontus. Nothing is more important.